Black Magic
by snarechan
Summary: Lulu is always thinking deeply, contemplating some of life’s deepest meanings and about herself. But, perhaps she’s the one who complicates and misunderstands things most.


Black Magic

By Snare-chan

**Pairings**: None  
**Ratings**: PG  
**Category(ies)**: General  
**Warning(s)**: Perhaps slightly spoiler-ish, but I wouldn't say so  
**Status**: One-shot, complete  
**Summary**: Lulu is always thinking deeply, contemplating some of life's deepest meanings and about herself. But, perhaps she's the one who complicates and misunderstands things most.

**Notes**: Out of all the girls in FFX (X-2 not included) I'd say it would have to be Lulu. Her almost borderline cynical nature, curt attitude, and don't-mess-with-me-or-get-burned character are definitely my idea of a woman! She's deep and dark, an almost unusual combination for a female role these days. But I also like that deeper still, she's just a hurt, lonely soul who still can't help but care about those close to her. Her almost motherly concern/chastity for Tidus and sisterly love for Yuna shows this most.

So yeah, I thought it was high time to write something for her. Hopefully my first attempt won't be my last!

**Disclaimer**: I dun own Final Fantasy X, wish I did like everyone else. They should put FFX in stock, then I'd buy it all!

* * *

She was a dark sorceress, a woman bent to will the power of that which is misunderstood. The magic of fire and ice, water and lightning is more than what it seems. How can being able to control such elements be wrong, when all it is is what nature already provides? Fire can warm you up on winter trails and water can soothe a parched throat, and yet when she uses them, people often become afraid.

_It's those that wield such power with ill responsibility that can turn anything evil,_ Lulu thought calmly. She wasn't sure what had brought on this deep thinking, though it was not uncommon for her to be dwelling on such things.

Walking along the crooked, broken path through the ruins of the Zanarkand dome might have made it come up. It was far too quiet around her, and it was not a peaceful sort of silence. It was deep and full of danger, remorse, and unease. No one in the traveling party, much less her, dared to break the delicate quiet that had befallen them. What was there to say? Nothing cheerful could be brought here, nor could it be found.

No one was in a hurry, either. Each step seemed hollow and echoed off crumbling walls, but this eerie feeling didn't slow them down. As much as they dreaded what was coming, they were all drawn to the center of it all, like wasps to honey.

It was hard, even for Lulu, to stay casual. For the first time in a long while she wished to falter, to slow down this deathly procession in hopes of prolonging the inevitable. None of them seemed to notice how she started to fall behind, silently slinking back towards the end of their assembled group.

Receding back into her thoughts, the dark-haired woman mused how hard she'd tried to help other summoners arrive at this very place. The previous two times, she had failed - one miserably, one for the better – and she recalled how devastated she had been. Now that she'd nearly accomplished a pilgrimage, she felt no better. In fact, it felt nearly ten times worse than she could have ever imagined.

Something suddenly brought her out of her thoughts, her head tilting towards the distraction in slight annoyance. This was not a time when she wanted to be bothered, but at the sight of Tidus, she unnoticeably relented to his slight nudge. Despite how strange this…'star of the Zanarkand Abes' was, she couldn't help but let him slip through the cracks around her. For some reason, his antics seemed to calm her in times like this.

"Yes?"

"Um…oh…you…?"

The blonde suddenly seemed flustered. While the innocent act would usually have Lulu attempting to ignore the fool…it wasn't so much of an act as it was a reality. It'd taken quite some time for this to sink in to her, understanding being something easily given but not understood. Keeping cool and collected, she raised a single brow at him.

"I?"

"It's…quiet, don't you think?"

Without another word, she nodded and turned back to look up ahead, taking notice of Yuna walking farthest up ahead. For some reason it bothered Lulu to see only the other's back, an unsettling feeling sitting in her stomach. How much longer would this last?

"Ya know…when this place was open, it was almost impossible to hear. Everyone was so loud; the fans would be going wild and the announcer would be blaring. I can't believe this is the same place."

With each new word the other murmured, her head started to turn back around till she was completely facing him again. For a moment she'd nearly forgotten…how hard it must be for him. If only it were so simple as to blame this heartache on Sin's toxins, but she had seen too much to doubt anything but what was obviously in front of her. The truth hurt like that, she supposed.

"How…exciting."

He started beside her, probably surprised just to hear her speak anything at all. Without warning, it was like a save sphere had been activated, and he brightened considerably in the gloom.

"Yeah! The stands would be chocked full of people – _lots_ of people - it could really get your blood going. The place would literally glow at night and everything. That made it easy to spot if the noise didn't tip you off to its location. I mean, it's almost just like that stadium back in Luca, only…"

Tidus trailed off, brows crinkling together in as deep a thought as he could manage. She wished she could help supply the words, but someone else managed that for the both of them.

"More honest?"

Both turned to look over at Sir Auron. By the looks of things, it was as if he'd never spoken, his back still towards the rest of them. But his voice was unmistakable in this quiet, and the slight tilt of his head in their direction gave him away.

"Yeah…that."

Neither of them had noticed how everyone had started to listen in on their conversation, not that they minded. It seemed to be over with those final words, however, as Lulu collected herself, not wanting to let slip her control when they were so close. They were getting so much farther, twisting along the walkways towards the unknown. It couldn't possibly be much longer now.

Had she not chosen in that moment to bow her head, Lulu might have noticed the strange difference in the brickwork around her as it rippled. As it were, the wall moving at least caught Tidus' attention; a flying fist is rather hard to miss when it comes flying right at you. Knocked back by one of her teammates in the knick of time, most likely by Tidus since he'd been the closest, everyone scrambled to get into battle position.

"It's a Defender Z!" Rikku screamed, swiftly stepping out of harm's way as the rock hand went zooming back overhead to its master.

While all the physical hitters like Sir Auron, Kimahri, and Wakka took the front lines, the rest of them continued to fall back. The path to the final summoning was compact and gave way to little battling room, so they wanted to give the current fighters as much as they could manage without falling off themselves.

As the fight gave way Lulu was reminded how difficult this journey really was. Comparatively speaking, they were like a Klikk to a Behemoth. Wakka barely managed to evade the next assault, and as he tried to return the favor his ball didn't leave so much as a dent in the fiend's hide. Sir Auron tried to remedy this fact with an Armor Break, his body sparkling with a yellow light as his weapon struck home…but even then their odds weren't much better. Their weapons fractured off its brick-like skin with sparks and snapping twangs.

_This is pointless. We'll only die here…_The irony didn't escape her. Die here due to a Defender or die later by the final summoning? Death may be many roads leading to one place, but this is not their destination, and so she saw no other choice.

"Wakka, let me switch in."

The redhead started, nervously keeping one eye on the enemy as well as her. Usually after taking so many hits like he had he would willingly do just that, Lulu in particular there to remind him that losing due to pride was not an option. But this was different, they all felt it within themselves.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Lu…I dun mean to sound ungrateful or anythin', but this isn't-"

"Alright."

Once again Sir Auron took them by surprise, head slightly bowed as he started back towards the group. While she would have liked to gawk at him for another moment there was no more time, and quickly she moved into his place. But it had taken up too many precious minutes, the Defender swinging in to splat them into the ground. The blue Ronso ducked back from the attack, but was still slammed hard in the chest. Immediately, he collapsed to one knee.

_The place would literally glow at night and everything_…

Face hardening, Lulu raised her hands high above her head, her doll of choice mimicking her every move. She'd learned this spell some time ago and refrained from using it for many reasons. It was too deadly, too powerful, and too dangerous. That is to say, of course, she would be using it eventually. She'd just never thought it would be so soon. Lulu only had one shot with it, her magic reserves only able to deliver this one, and yet, despite all that could ensue, for the first time, she didn't think of the consequences of her actions.

Instead, she thought only about protecting those who had fought so hard to get here.

"_Ultima_."

The word was a hiss on her lips, escaping like steam from a boiling hot kettle. For a moment nothing but more silence filled the air, then in a split second everything changed. In a wild array of dazzling colors and a void of darkness, the fiend was enveloped by so much magic it fell apart and turned to dust before the spell was even finished. As soon as the commotion had cleared, the scene unraveled back to normal, like the monster hadn't attacked them at all. It had completely ceased to exist.

_It's those that wield such power with ill responsibility that can turn anything evil_.

Those words echoed in her mind as she finally collapsed, her very energy all but spent. She expected the ground to smack against her weakened body, perhaps a few rocks to dig into her spine, but no such thing occurred. Weakly opening up her eyes, she was surrounded on all sides by her companions, Wakka behind her, the one to have caught her at the last moment.

Everyone but Tidus seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"That was so _ultimately_ cool! Hah hah!"

Lulu wished to groan but had no energy for it. All she could manage was the closing of her eyes in hopes of catching her bearings so that they…could continue on.

"I was so careless."

Gingerly, Wakka helped her up, Yuna close by and ready to cast some healing magic if needed. But her friend merely waved her off, not wanting her to waste her own energy before the big event ahead. The summoner would need all the strength she could hold at this point.

"What was that?" Tidus finally asked, unable to keep himself from asking. The sorceress was not really surprised; the blonde had been a bundle of questions since the day he'd appeared at the island.

"A spell," she answered vaguely, hoping to not have to answer him. It was hard enough to keep her head on as it was, and having to go through a drawn-out explanation of such forbidden magic was a bit beyond her capabilities at the moment.

"Well _duh_, but that one felt…different. I've never seen you use something like that before. For that matter, I don't think I've seen anyone use it _ever_."

No amount of density in the head could stop him from getting so close to the mark. Absently, she made a note to invest in more Luck Spheres whenever she got the chance…if she ever got the chance. She remained silent, and when it became apparent that she wasn't going to answer him, Rikku appeared to try, but after a bit of her mouth opening and closing with no results, she quietly 'hm'ed to herself.

After a while of silence Tidus seemed to catch on, wincing as the realization hit him. "It's uh…not a good thing, is it?"

"No. It's the ultimate dark attack. Those who receive it are reduced to non-existence, even pyre flies. Their essence is removed till the end of time, never to be reborn as a fiend…or a person."

Suddenly growing more tired, Lulu put all her will into standing on her own, gently pushing away from the redheaded Blitzball player still holding onto her.

"Whoa…so, like, forever? That's a really long time."

"It is when you have no hope to ever exist." She had not meant to actually reply, but the words left her without her consent. Would this be how Yuna would be too? Lost for as long as there is life elsewhere, till there is nothing left? What a dreadful fate Sin bestows upon those it is defeated by, a price just narrowly worth taking.

"And that's why I must do this. If I defeat Sin, maybe…just maybe he won't come back, and then…there will be no more need for such sacrifices."

Unexpectedly, it was Yuna who spoke up next. Her calm voice was convincing enough to have them start again, reminding them of what they must do. No matter what transpires they must always keep going, heading down the long road to the chopping block of glory. For a fleeting moment Lulu thought the moment of distress had passed – that she could move on and almost forget what foolishness she had committed.

"Ya know…forever isn't everlasting like people say it is."

Teeth nearly grinding, Lulu was tempted to cast a Silence spell on the meddling blonde. When would he ever learn? She wanted peace and quiet. She wanted calm and privacy. He couldn't possibly understand any of this, she knew, but every hour in his presence she hoped perhaps he'd catch the hint. This hour proved that, once again, he was as oblivious as ever.

"Auron even told me that, so it's got to be true, right?" He flashed her a wide grin, not seemingly as affected with the aftermath of what she'd done as much as she was. Not waiting for a reply he called up ahead, "Right, Auron? Forever is just time like everything else, it's not set in stone. Someday _something_ has to change!"

"Be quiet."

"Aww, come on, answer me!" Unaffected by Sir Auron's command, the other continued on. "Just like in that story you used to tell me. What was it…uh…about a genie? He was stuck in this bottle, see, to grant wishes to anybody who found him."

"For…forever, right?"

His story seemed to have gotten the desired affect, because at least Rikku's attention was caught again. Not that that was anything to brag about or be proud of, since she was easily intrigued by the simplest of things.

"Yeah! And, like, one day this guy…for some reason or other wished this genie free, so he didn't have to grant wishes anymore! It all worked out in the end."

"Where there will, there way."

Everyone almost halted in their steps at Kimahri's words, the blue beast at Yuna's side speaking up for the first time since they'd entered.

"Er..right, right! So there's no reason to be down, Lulu, because if those floaty light thingies really want to be whatever again, they can! They just got to find a way to go about doing it. And hey, maybe you've done them a favor! At least now they aren't trying to make people-paste out of wary travelers."

"I'm _not_ feeling down," Lulu scoffed, though inwardly admitted she did feel better after this discussion. As much as it hurt to admit - even if it was just to herself – Tidus was correct, now that he'd mentioned it. Nothing could possibly be completely wiped out, could it? Energy in any form is merely transferred into another plane after being dispersed to be redistributed. It was such simple, childlike logic; it was no wonder no one but Tidus had taken note of it.

After all, magic _is_ easily misunderstood by the best of them.

-Fin-


End file.
